Pavlyuchenkova recovers to reach Portugal final

Third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova fought back from a first-set whitewash to beat unseeded Swiss player Romina Oprandi 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Saturday (AEST) to reach the women's final of the ATP / WTA Portugal Open.

The 19th-ranked Russian winner will bid for her second trophy this season after Monterrey, when she plays fourth seed and 2012 finalist Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat Estonian defending champion Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-1 in 66 minutes.

Pavlyuchenkova said that, after winning a quarter-final the day before which took almost three hours, she was just not fully recovered - especially with a morning start.

"I don't like to complain, but it was tough to start the match. I didn't recover well. But I'm happy with how I responded," she said.

Pavlyuchenkova had few early answers for Oprandi's blistering clay-court game in the quick opening set on a sunny spring day after a week of cold.

Once she hit her stride, however, the Russian began to dominate - Oprandi saved match points as Pavlyuchenkova tried to serve out for victory at 5-1 in the final set, but lost her serve to keep the match alive.

A game later it was all over, however, when she broke Oprandi back.

Oprandi came to the court after beating Russia's French and US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals at the Estadio Nacional.

Victory in Saturday's final would make Pavlyuchenkova the second Russian champion here after Maria Kirilenko five years ago.

In the other semi-final, Suarez Navarro benefited from seven double-faults by her Estonian opponent.

"It's great to be in my second final here, it was a good match for me today," she said.

"I did have last year's final in my mind. She started strong and I was a bit nervous. I served well and kept my intensity in the important moments."

Ferrer through

In the men's draw, top seed David Ferrer reached the semi-finals on Saturday (AEST), rallying from 4-2 down in the second set to see off gritty Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).

Joining Ferrer in the last four was Swiss second seed Stanislas Wawrinka.

The Swiss reached the semi-finals for the second year running through his defeat of Portuguese wild card, and crowd darling, number 113-ranked Gastao Elias, 6-4, 6-4.

Number three Andreas Seppi also joined the party as the Italian beat Spain's eighth seed Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-3 to book a place against Ferrer.